LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2366, 10 December 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Local businesses are now displaying their Christmas stocks.

A slight earthquake was experienced at about yesterday. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council will lx* held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening, at 7.30 o’eloek. The heal yesterday was very trying. About midday torrential rain fell, and cooled the air. The weather still continues “muggy.” Strawberries are being retailed in at Is and 4s Id per box, and in Wellington at 2s and 2s (Id per box. It is understood that the Board of Trade does not eat: strawberries, says the N.Z. Times. Mr Moorhouse presided over a meeting of the Beautifying Society Finance Committee on Thursday afternoon. Several accounts were passed for payment, and other matters were left till a later meeting. Captain and Mrs Tong, who have been in charge of the local Salvation Army Corps for the past seven months, have received farewell orders, and proceed to Weslpori. Farewell services will be conducted to-morrow.

It was reported that an aeroplane was to visit Foxlon from Feilding yesterday afternoon, and was to land on Messrs Robinson Bro.’s property, Beach Road. A number of people went out to the vicinity in expectation of watching the landing, but the flight was not made.

A certain number of women are taking advantage of the ante-natal clinic at the Palmerston North Hospital, but not as many as might have been expected by the Board when establishing the -clinic. Its advantages for the benefit of prospective mothers are not altogether understood, but it is hoped that mothers will make further use of this valuable institution as time goes on.

The final returns in' the Canadian general • elections show that the Liberals overwhelmed the Government, taking 121 seats, the Conservatives 53, the Farmers 58, and Independents 2. The Premier, Mr Meighen, lost his seat, with seven other members of the Catenet. The Horowhenua County Patriotic Association received at Wednesday’s meeting a black list of twenty unsatisfactory cases from the Auckland War Relief Association, to whom the local Association was advised Hot to make advances. Another case was reported by the Wairarapa Association. The annual prize-giving and bre-aking-up ceremony in connection with the local State School will take place in the Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon, 20th inst. ’ Father Christmas will visit the infants, and preside over the Christmas tree at the school'on Monday afternoon, 19th inst.

The Barnard Improved Safety Gun, Ltd., of Palmerston North; recently petitioned Parliament to introduce legislation dealing with the use of pea-rifles and other firearms. On Wednesday ihe Defence Committee reported that it approved of the principle of compulsory attachment of a safety device on all pea-rifles, and therefore recommended that the petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. The House adopted the report.

The deputation of Mann wain tlaxmillers which waited upon Sir Francis Bell at Wellington on Thursday suggested the desirability of experimenting with the planting of flax in the sand dunes in this district. The Minister was sympathetic with the proposal. He stated that he was prepared to devote a portion of the money available for afforestation purposes in planting flax on the sand dunes wherever it might be considered profitable.

The >un was shining outside, am Tommy was tired of his arithmeth lesson, tie stood before (lie mas ter, waiting lo be told that be couh go. “Your last problem is wrong,’ said the master. “Yon must stay.’ Tommy glanced at the clock. “Hov much am I out, sir?” be asked “Fivepence,” said the reply. Tommy pul bis band in bis pocket, produced fivepence, and said: “I’m ii an awful hurry, sir. Do you mint if I pay Ihe difference?”

A llaxmilier whose interests are located at Makerua, informed a Levin Chronicle reporter that the yellow leaf disease was becoming a serious menace to the industry, and be thought that in another eight or ten years there would be little milling flax left in Ihe once-famons Makerua swamps. He stated (hat I Ik 1 blackberry was also becoming a big obstacle in the swamps, and where I lie yellow leaf disease got in and killed the flax the blackberry became’ established where the flax was growing formerly. It was'almost as big a problem as yellow leaf.